Manji

Customer Reviews:

Worshiping the Godess with everything you have.......2006-06-25

"Manji" is pure Junichiro Tanizaki. All of his favorite themes are on display: the modern, Westernized Japanese girl representing a moral void intent on servicing only her own interests to the destruction of others, the obsession with such a figure, going beyond sexuality to absolute slavish devotion, even the spanking. Tanizaki was an author with a definite viewpoint, and director Yasuzo Masumura has captured this viewpoint perfectly.

The fulcrum in "Manji" is Mitsuko Tokumitsu, a woman of profound beauty and charisma who invites comparisons to Kanon, the Japanese Goddess of Compassion. She is every inch the modern girl, in Western suits and fashionable haircuts. Her lover, Sonoko Kakiuchi, is a traditional Japanese beauty, never seen out of a kimono and happily shunning her husband in favor of her Goddess. Sonoko's long suffering husband Kotaro senses something unusual about the friendship, but is so distanced from his wife he is unable to penetrate the mystery. As a blind to their lesbian trysts, Sonoko and Mitsuko create a wedding and a pregnancy for Mitsuko, to the unbalanced Eijiro Watanuki. But Eijiro is every bit as obsessed with Mitsuko as Sonoko, and is unwilling to be the side player, scheming to remove the obstacles to his desire. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that while Mitsuko may be a goddess, there is nothing about her resembling compassion, and that she is playing everyone against each other. And then it gets complicated.

Tanizaki's stories always show a spiraling descent into the madness of obsession. The more powerful Mitsuko becomes, the more she manipulates and destroys the psyche and willpower of those who love her. All of them, Sonoko, Eijiro and even Kotaro become her toys, and she is a skilled puppeteer. There is only one possible conclusion to these events, and it is only a question of who will arrive there with whom.

While Masumura has captured Tanizaki's themes perfectly, the acting in "Manji" borders on melodrama, and occasionally leaps off the deep end. This style of acting is typical of older Japanese films, but in "Manji" it can be difficult to decide if the actors are playing it for comedy or despair. Also, while the film deals with sexuality, it is by no means a skinflick, and there is no actual nudity. This tends to hamper the rawness of the conflicts, as seen in later Masumura films like "Blind Beast" where powerful sexual obsession is tackled head on.

The Fantoma DVD for "Manji" is well put together, as are most Masumura Fantoma releases. There is a theatrical trailer, as well as cast and director notes.

Masumura is an original.......2005-10-13

Masumura's work is the cinematic equivalent of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories.His universe is populated with characters who live on the brink of despair and psychological breakdown.The dramatic intensity and visual panache of his movies makes him an undervaluated master of the new wave movement.
MANJI and THE BLIND BEAST are masterpieces of underground cinema whose surreal intensity reminds me such masters as Ken Russel and David Lynch and should not be missed.

Wonderful black comedy of obsessive desire.......2005-06-23

It probably helps if you know a little bit about Japanese culture and manners to appreciate some of the things the characters say and do - but even the uninformed will have no trouble knowing when these people go beyond the pale of acceptable conduct. This is a fairly broad, but very satisfying, adaptation of a Tanizaki story - one of his delightfully morbid sex farces. It is beautifully filmed, striking a very pleasing balance between humor and tragedy. The actress playing the Osaka housewife gone potty over one of Tanizaki's westernized bitch-beauties is particularly good. This is one of those wonderful stories that starts out as one thing, becomes something else entirely, and then ends up as another thing altogether.

I should probably make it clear that, while I thought this movie was a stitch, another person I saw it with had an entirely different, more serious reaction to what went on in the film. A history of bad relationships probably makes a difference in how comical you find this material.

Fantomas does a fine job as usual, and this is possibly the best of the four Masumura titles they released - although 'Giants and Toys' and especially 'Blind Beast' are well worth seeing. ('Afraid to Die' is pretty much a curio with some interesting elements, but not up to the level of the other titles by a long shot.) My only real complaint was with the liner notes, starting with the tiresome explaination that the character that makes the movie's Japanese title is not a Nazi swastica. While I understand the mortal fear that motivates such disclaimers, it amazes me that anyone interested in watching this movie wouldn't figure that out if they didn't already know. (This comes up in any localized product bearing that particular Chinese character, and I'm a little tired of it. It's a symbol that appears in Indian iconography without raising eyebrows - so why call attention to it?) The author goes on to make a comparison between Masumura and (I believe) Orson Welles based on the fact that they both had a certain stock of players they liked to use. Yeah? Then I guess Edward D. Wood belongs in the same class, because he did that, too.

But that is nitpicking. This is a great little movie from start to finish. See it! See it! See it!

Average customer rating:

American Desi
Starring: Deep Katdare , Purva Bedi , Ronobir Lahiri , and Rizwan Manji
Director: Piyush Dinker Pandya
Manufacturer: Cinebella
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MD1IP6
Release Date: 2001-01-01

Album Description

Born and raised in New Jersey, Krishnagopal Reddy (Deep Katdare) is the typical boy next door: handsome, athletic, and adventuresome. The only son of immigrant Indian parents, he has adopted the American ideal of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, as his credo. He has long resisted the Indian traditions and values that his parents have tried to enshrine in their home. Fueled by the need to fit in with his peers, Krishnagopal has shortened his birth name to the more palatable 'Kris' while striving to become the best 'American' he can. Kris' home is infused with what he finds as embarrassing traditions. The smells, sounds and tastes continually remind Kris of his Indian heritage. His over-attentive mother with her religious fervor constantly smothers him. His father, a successful accountant, cannot detach himself from the cultural and political scene in India despite a comfortable life in America. Kris cannot help but feel alienated from his family. He is what a knowing ex-patriate desi (literally "one from our land") would call an American Born Confused Desi. His dream has always been to leave home so he can finally live his own life. Accepted into the engineering program at the local State University, Kris eagerly departs for college in the hopes of finally living a normal 'American' life. During a college party, Kris falls for a beautiful Indian girl named Nina Shah (Purva Bedi). As Kris vies for the affection of Nina, he is opposed by the smooth-talking, but slimy Rakesh (Anil Kumar) who wants to thwart Kris' attempts at happiness. In his quest for the holy female, Kris is aided by his oddball assortment of roommates. Despite their good-natured attempt to make Kris feel welcome, he realizes that his fondest dreams have become his worst nightmare. Kris finds himself ducking corners to avoid his colorful ensemble of roommates. His desperate attempts to change his room are to no avail. These 'room-partners' include:

Customer Reviews:

I so wanted to like this movie, but it's unwatchable!.......2007-08-31

After all, I love Takeshi Kaneshiro and Mira Sorvino. But it plays like a series of cobbled-together student films (I've been in a couple at Columbia College and there's a remarkable likeness to the short films produced by Tech II students) with no cohesive narrative. There are some compelling cameos/vignettes in the film by Aida Turturro and Michael Imperiolli, and Jeffrey Wright (among others) but it's just filler. Mira Sorvino signed on to the film because she wanted to be able to do a film where she speaks Mandarin Chinese (in which she is fluent after spending a year abroad as a Harvard student). As for the film itself, the denouement with the art collector played by Ben Gazzara was violent, bizarre and frankly out-of-synch with the rest of what is, for the most part, a gentle Japanese-"Fish-Out-Of-Water" story. It's a schizophrenic movie with moments of sweetness (which is why I give it 2 stars instead of 1), and I'm fairly certain its stars wouldn't like for it to be remembered as part of their filmography.

A Must-See for Takeshi Kaneshiro..........2007-07-16

Takeshi Kaneshiro gets 5 stars, which prompts me to give a movie that I'd normally view as 1-2 stars, really, four total. Clearly he's one of the most beautiful men in the world, so just staring at him provides 100% satisfaction for me. Then listening to him speak English...I love it. His portrayl of this character had me smiling from the very start of his opening scene. As far as the movie itself goes, it has a "Basquiat" feel to me. Jeffrey Wright's even in this a bit. Anyway, it's definitely not something I'd have watched without him in it, yet it'll be something that I watch often because he's in it.
P.S. He reminds me of Antonio Banderas, which is a good thing.

When Will You Die?.......2007-06-17

I bought this film because of Takeshi Kaneshiro. I'm not sorry. This is the only film I've seen with Kaneshiro where he speaks english. He plays the part well making it both easy and (at some times) hard to like him. Mira Sorvino is amazing as Death. She portrays death as a sad creature who has work to do but almost hates that she has to do it.

*SPOILER*
When Death tells Kenji (Kaneshiro) that he has 12 more hours to live, she thinks she's doing him a favor. Unfortunately, in trying to do what he wants, Kenji begins to go slightly crazy. Knowing that he is going to die, Kenji realizes that he has nothing to lose and ends up hurting several people.

*END SPOILER*

Kaneshiro is wonderful in his portrayal of Kenji in this film and Sorvino shines. With off beat characters thrown in everywhere there is surely something that everyone will like.

Great Indie.......2007-05-29

This is a really great indie film. The other reviewer said it all. Takeshi Kaneshiro is awesome in it!

Love this film.......but all my friends hate it!.......2001-12-14

Must say that this is one of the most memorable films that i've seen. To describe it in a few words: original and quirky film about some guy who knows he's going to die, so what does he do about it? The film stars Takeshi Kaneshiro (really cool Japanese actor/model dude)as a less-than-motivated foreign student in New York City, and Mira Sorvino as Death herself. It even includes director Wong Suk Chin in an amusing cameo appearance as a Chinatown Hitman.

Well, based on the characters and rough plot, you kinda get the idea that this could turn out to be an absolute waste of time. But if you're patient enough to sit through what can appear to be a pointless film, this can be a rewarding experience. Mostly, this is due to clever snippets of random dialogue throughout the film; less so for content and more so because of delivery. This is where the random characters come in. Among other things, I enjoyed Mira Sorvino trying out 2 different chinese dialects, Italian guy getting sarcastic about the Japanese anatomical inferiority, 12-year old girl describing how pointless manogamy can be, and a hilarious discussion about why its good to take a book into a cafe even if you're not going to be reading it.

Mira Sorvino is brilliant as a charming and strangely compassionate Death. But the most memorable character of the lot is Takeshi's. While the man himself is not a particularly good actor, he more than makes up for this deficiency by just looking so much the part; the part of a character who hardly seems as if he is able to do anything significant for the film. He seems to just laze through the film, even after having been told by death that he faces a premature end. But it is this sort of pace, and Takeshi's encounters with the various random people, that makes this film enjoyable. The tone of the film darkens and gets more profound towards the end. The finale is predictable in terms of the result, but how it happens is less so.

To examine this film any further would be to take it too seriously. The production of the film smacks of deliberate lack of effort, and this is reflected in the many simple and shallow character developments. Yet, it seemed to strike a lot of chords with me, especially since at the time of watching i was a similarly lackadaisical overseas student struggling to get in gear.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2001-05-17

This movie is hilarious. It shows the difference in cultural upbringing of the Indian born and raised in India and Indians who have lived all their life in the U.S.

Description

The dutiful, unhappy wife of a lawyer falls in love with a young, mysterious woman she encounters at an art class. Soon their affair involves her husband and the young woman's impotent lover and the four slowly descend into web of desire, deceit, blackmail, blood oaths and suicide pacts. Featuring superb performances and director Yasuzo Masumura's stunning visual precision, this exquisitely wrought tale of erotic obsession is a hothouse of tangled passions and over the top emotion. Fantoma is proud to present this landmark film for the first time in the US.

Customer Reviews:

Obsession and annihilation.......2003-02-02

I was originally interested in this movie because two of my favorite Japanese actresses were in it, Ayako Wakao and Kyoko Kishida. I had also read Tanizaki's book upon which this movie is based, so I was curious to see film director Yasuzo Masumura's interpretation. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Movies about lesbian love and twisted sexual affairs may seem tame in today's world. But keep in mind this film was made in 1964, and in Japan no less! The plot centers around Mitsuko and her efforts to emotionally control her male and female lovers. This movie is erotically charged without being exploitive. There is very little nudity. What Masumura gives us is a very good portrayal of how sexual obsession can lead to annihilation. The acting is outstanding. This is a hard movie to classify, but it's definitely one that leaves an impression.

Strangely affecting.......2002-05-21

This film was the second Masumura film that I saw. Like "Giants and Toys", the film feels broad for its first half. The acting feels a little bit overwrought, but by the end of the film, the character's plight actually resonates. The film is based on a Tanizaki novel, so while there is a bit of "erotic" content, it's not cheap or exploitative. The booklet contains an excellent essay with cultural background for the film and analysis by a film scholar that I found useful.

Customer Reviews:

I so wanted to like this movie, but it's unwatchable!.......2007-08-31

A Must-See for Takeshi Kaneshiro..........2007-07-16

When Will You Die?.......2007-06-17

Great Indie.......2007-05-29

This is a really great indie film. The other reviewer said it all. Takeshi Kaneshiro is awesome in it!

Love this film.......but all my friends hate it!.......2001-12-14

Don't expect the film to portray a theme of any kind, but bear in mind the way it takes a superficial look at many disjointed issues. Check this film out only if you're in the mood, or if you're "too tired" to do anything else.

Average customer rating:

Excellent

American Desi
Starring: Deep Katdare , Purva Bedi , Ronobir Lahiri , Rizwan Manji , and Kal Penn
Director: Piyush Dinker Pandya
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CY11

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2001-05-17

This movie is hilarious. It shows the difference in cultural upbringing of the Indian born and raised in India and Indians who have lived all their life in the U.S.

Product Description

Spain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o Spanish (subtitles) o English (Dolby Digital 2.0) o Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: South Korean-born Wonsuk Chin, a NYC resident for eight years, made his directorial debut with this hip comedy, shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. With numerous cinematic references and allusions (Bergman, Godard, Woo,Hartley), the tale begins with a black-and-white silent sequence depicting Death chasing a young man through Old Baghdad. The setting shifts to present-day New York, where a Japanese man, Kenji (Takeshi Kaneshiro of Chungking Express) is seen abed in a sparsely furnished apartment. Kinji goes to a local cafe where he chats with several others. Death (Mira Sorvino) drifts about, assuming various forms -- disco gal, Japanese geisha, Chinese woman, devil with a red dress on, and a French-accented figure dressed as a man. The sad Death informs Kenji that she has no choice in determining her victims and that he has only 12 hours left to live. She suggests that he make the most of his remaining minutes. At the cafe, he chides famous artist John Sage (Ben Gazzara) for being involved with a decades-younger girlfriend, the beautiful Korean Anouk (Hye Soo Kim). Kenji makes the proposal that since he's due to die, he could be allowed sex with Anouk as a final act. This request isn't well received by anyone present, leaving Kenji to his own devices. Sorvino majored in Asian studies at Harvard and lived for eight months (1988-89) in Beijing, where she studied Chinese, taught English, and viewed a variety of Chinese films. Too Tired to Die and The Replacement Killers both brought her several steps closer to her announced goal of making a film in Mandarin and working with a Chinese director. Special Features: o Biographies o Filmographies o Interactive Menu o Scene Access o Trailer(s)

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